Liquid control system



Septf, 1939.` M. H. LOUGHRIDGE 2,171,579

LIQUID CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Oct. 28, 1935 3 Sheets-Shree?l l I NVE NTOR.

Sept- 54, 1939- M. H. LOUGHRIDGE '2,171,579

LIQUID CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Oct. 28, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 36 8O g5 94 g C70 ck /Veca/y/lf/f? INV NTOR.

Sept 5, 1939. M. HQLOUGHRIDGE 2,171,579

LIQUID CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Oct. 28, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 6% 1 N VE NTOR.

Patented Sept. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 18 Claims.

This invention relates to liquid control systems and has for an object to control the flow of liquids from a higher to a lower level. A more particular object of the invention is to control thel ilow 5 of liquids at predetermined intervals, or under predetermined conditions in which one or more `tanks may be lled and emptied as desired. An-

other object of the invention is to control the ow of liquids by a syphon system, automatically V regulated; and another object of the invention is to provide means for starting a syphon by a Venturi action in which the starting means is stopped automatically as soon as the syphon is started.

l Other objects of the invention will appear from the following specication and from the accompanying drawings, in which;

Fig. 1 is a Venturi syphon with automatic controls, partly sectioned;

Fig. 2 is a sectional drawing of a valve for controlling the Venturi syphon;

Fig. 3 is a diagram of the Venturi syphon control operated by a time controlled mechanism;

Fig. 4 is another diagram of the Venturi syphon control operated electrically and;

Fig. 5 is one form of an electrically operated air valve that may be used with Fig. 4, the drawing being partly sectioned.

One of the applications of this invention is to transfer liquids from a tank at a higher lever to one or more tanks at a lower level at intervals that may be determined manually, or by a time controlled mechanism. The application also includes discharging the lower tanks at predetermined intervals, also stopping the flow to these tanks as they become filled.

The Venturi syphon as disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 755,841, of December 3, 1934, now Patent No. 2,131,743, granted October 4, 1938, may be used for carrying out the purposes of this invention.` In the present application the syphon is started by an air blast and as the flow is established through the syphon the back pressure caused thereby is vused to stop the air supply, the syphon itself being stopped by an air nozzle controlled by the liquid level in the receiving tank. The air supply to the venturi which is subject to control by a timing 0 mechanism may be controlled by synchronized valves which always rotate in the same direction. In the electric system, electro-pneumatic valves, operated by a time controlled mechanism control the air supply for starting the Venturi sy- 55 phon and thus operate the syphons for each tank at any time desired and operates them in any order desired for the different tanks.

In the drawings, II, I2 and I3 is a syphon tube of the usual form which connects at I4 with the Venturi nozzle l5 through the enlarged an- 5Y nular space I'I in which the air nozzle I6 projects in line with the discharge passage I8. An air pipe I9 and 26 connects with the nozzle I6 so that the syphon may be started by an air blast.

Cylinder 2l is connected to air pipe I9 and lo has a piston 22 with a piston rod 24 projecting from the cylinder and normally held in the inner position by spring 23. The cylinder 2| is mounted upon the upper end of the nozzle with the air connection between the nozzle and the cylinder. l5 The plunger 24 is operated once only at the starting of the syphon and operates a stepping mechanism. A rotary valve, Fig. 2, is mounted on top of the cylinder and constitutes the stepping mechanism to be operated by the piston rod 20 24. This comprises the frame 25, 26. The leg 26 is clamped to the end plate 2'I by the nut 23 and the body ci the valve 29 is screwed into the end plate. The valve member 30 rotates in the body 29, through the shalt 3l which is keyed to 25 the stepping wheel 32 and this wheel is provided with ratchet dogs 33, 34, which lie in the path of the piston rod 24 so that for each upward movement of the rod the stepping wheel and the valve member 3D are moved one quarter turn. 30

The pipes 35 and 36 are connected alternately with an air supply hereafter to be described. The opening 3l in valve 33 registers with pipe 35 so that ii air is supplied to this pipe the interior of 30 will be under air pressure and pipe 20 con- 35 necting to this interior will be under air pressure. Opening 38 registers with pipe 36 so that when wheel 32 makes one quarter turn, the port 37 is moved away from pipe 35 and port 38 is brought into alignment with pipe 36 and the 40 interior of valve 36 is subject to the pressure in pipe 36, while pipe 35 is cut-off. When another quarter turn has been made, port 39 is brought into alignment with pipe 35 and pipe 36 is cutoff. Thus, alternately, pipes 35 and 36 are con- 45 vnected with the interior of valve 30 and with pipe 20 leading to the venturi. Only one of pipes 35 and 36 are under air pressure at a time so that as soon as the pistonvrod 24, in response to the liquid flow through the syphon steps the valve 30 one step, the air pressure for that operation is thereby cut-off. A synchronized stepping valve arrangement of this kind, but used for another purpose is disclosed in U. S. Patent 1,627,567, May 10, 1927. g

result is that when pipe 44 is closed a sub-atmospheric pressure is created in this pipe and the syphon is maintained, but when pipe 44 is opened, the syphon is immediately interrupted.

The syphon may be broken by admitting air to tube 44 through valve 50. This valve may be operated by the level of the liquid in the receiving tank, as in the co-pending application above referred to.

In the automatic system in Fig. 3, tanks B and D are alternately lled from tank A.. An air reservoir 69 for operating the syphons may be supplied with compressed air from the pump compressor, 65 which operates by the fluid from the nozzle l5 entering at 66 and discharging at 61 into tank D. This compressor connects by pipe 68 to reservoir 69.

The cl-ock mechanism through 12 drives `the rotary valve member 13 which has one face placed against disc 1| which connects by pipe 10 with air reservoir 69. The disc having the pipe con.- nections is mounted on the opposite side of the rotary valve 13. The face of the rotary valve 13 adjoining 1|, and the relative position of the pipes is shown to the right. The valve rotates about the stem 14 and has ports 15 and 16 which register With'the pipe 11 connected to pipe 20a for operating the syphon to discharge the tank D or any other tank desired. When either of these ports register with 11 air is supplied from reservoir 69 tov start the syphon.

Ports 18, 19 and 19a register with the outer row of tubes as the valve rotates to supply air from the reservoir to each of these pipes in turn. Two sets of pipe 35 and 36 go to each venturi, as in Fig. 1, but only one o1" the ports can register with one of a pair of pipes at a time, and each pipe of the pair are alternately in register. The result is that if pipe 36 is under air pressure, pipe 35 is cut off so that when valve 30 is ro-tated to cutoiT the air pipe, the other pipe that is brought into circuit has no air pressure until valve 13 rotates to bring it into register With the next port, and in the next operation these conditions are reversed. The system thus operates by a synchronous operation of valves 30 and 13. The system could be operated by a one way Valve, but the synchronous system avoids a reverse movement in the Valve operation.

In the electric system in Fig. 4 a motor operated blower supplies air for operating the system and electrically operated valves direct the air stream to the particular syphon desired. The valve is operated as indicated in Fig. 5, in which the magnetic yoke 86 rotates the armature 90 and through connection 9| operates the shutter 92 so that it may close the passage to pipe 20al in the normal position as indicated, or rotate the shutter to close pipe 03 as indicated at 03 when the magnet is energized.

The energy supplied from transformer 95, through connection 96 Contact fingers 91 bridged by 91a or 91b on the time controlled disc 81,

establishes a circuit to wire 98, magnet 88, Wire 99, wire |00, motor 8| and wire |0| to transformer. The magnet 86 is energized in series with motor 8|, which turns the air stream from blower 82, through pipe 83 `and pipe 20a into the venturi for discharging tank B, when 81 is in the position shown.

The disc 81 has another contact |02 which engages the fingers |03Y and 04 as it rotates. When it bridges the iingers |04, a circuit is established from Wire 96, through Wire contact fingers |08, bridged by contact |01, on the star Wheel 88 operated by piston 24, Wire |99, magnet 81, Wire ||0, Wire |00, motor 8| and Wire |0| to 95. The magnet 81 is energized with the motor 8| and through pipe 83 and valve 85 an air blast is provided to start the syphon from tank A to tank B. When the syphon is started, the star wheel 88 is moved to interrupt the circuit at |08 and to establish another circuit across the ngers l |06 which connect with wire |85 to fingers |83.

'I'his circuit remains deenergized until |02 bridges ngers |83 for another operation of the syphon. ThisV provides a synchronous control between 81 and 88 for the operation of the syphon. The contact members 91a and 91b on disc 81, engage fingers 91 only and contact |02 engages fingers |03 and |04 only.

It should be understood that the time controlled contacts are arranged to set up the required circuits in the-sequence necessary for the illing and emptying of the tanks desired.

'Ihe term ventur is used in a generic sense herein to include nozzles that produce a subnormal air pressure by the flow of an air stream.

The drawings are largely diagrams used to illustrate the operation of the system, rather than the actual apparatus which must be designed for the conditions under which it is to be applied. For instance, with certain types of .started the liquid continues to now vthrough the nozzle, but if the air pressure is continued the liquid iiow is much faster than Without the .air pressure. 'I'he discharge of air under pressure With the liquid through the nozzzle atomizes the liquid, if the liquid can be readily atomized.

WhenY the syphon is established the air and the liquid flow through the same discharge nozzle at I8 and the liquid has viscosity which retards the discharge of the air. The extent to which the air is retarded depends upon the quantity of liquid which the nozzle is designed to pass into the discharge orice I8.' Since the Venturi nozzle operates on the vprinciple of an injector pump, the free flow of the air through the nozzle is retarded by the ow of the liquid which corresponds with the reaction of the pump. As applied in Fig. l, the nozzle at I6 is smaller than the feed pipe 20 thereby causing an increased air velocity through the nozzle and a back pressure which builds up against piston 22 in cylinder 2| and partially compresses spring 23, but not sufficient to operate valve 29. When the liquid flows through the nozzle the retardation to the air stream is further increased with a corresponding increase in backpressure in cylinder 2|. The spring 23 is constructed to be responsive to this back pressure to the extent that the plunger 24, under the accumulated back pressure operates valve 29 and shuts off the air supply to the nozzle. This is only one Way of applying the control. In the valve construction in Fig. 2 the air supply is shut off by the last movement of the valve, Vbut in the construction in Fig. 4 the shut oi is vdetermined by the length of the contact segment |01. Only four stepsV are shown in the stepping mechanisms of the drawings, requiring a quarter turn for each operation. The expan- Sion of the accumulated air in cylinder 2| can be applied to secure a complete operation of the stepping device, but if desired a strong completing mechanism as shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,778,328, October 14, 1930, may be embodied in the stepping device to complete its movement after the movement is initiated.

This construction provides a syphon with a starting mechanism which is automatically discontinued by the iiow of the syphon.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A syphon system comprising a syphon,a Venturi nozzle for starting said syphon, an air sup ply for said nozzle, a valve controlling said air supply and means operated by the back pressure of said nozzle when the liquid flows therein for cutting off said air supply.

2. A syphon system comprising a syphon tube, a Venturi nozzle for starting said syphon, an air supply for said nozzle, a synchronized system con trolling said air supply and means for operating said system by the ow of liquid through said nozzle.

3. In a syphon system, in combination, an upper tank and a lower tank, a syphon tube connecting said tanks, pneumatic means for starting the syphon, electrical means for operating said pneumatic means, time controlled means controlling said electrical means and means ior stopping said syphon operated by the liquid level in the lower tank.

4. In a liquid controlling system, a delivery tank located at a high level, a receiving tank located at a low level, a pipe connecting said tanks, a second pipe connecting the receiving tank to waste, means for regulating the flow of liquid from the delivery to the receiving tank, means for regulating the flow of liquid from the receiving tank to waste and time controlled means for operating said regulating means.

5. In a liquid controlling system, a delivery tank located at a high level, a receiving tank located at a low level, a pipe connecting said tanks, a second pipe connecting said receiving tank to waste, electrically operated means for regulating the iiow of liquid between the delivery and receiving tanks', electrically operated means for regulating the flow of liquid from the receiving tank to waste and means controlling said electrically operated means to operate in cycles.

6. In a liquid control system, a tank, a syphon pipe located in said tank, a nozzle in said pipe for starting the syphon and translating means connected with said nozzle and responsive to back pressure caused by the liquid ow in said nozzle for aiecting the operation of the syphon.

7. In a liquid control system, a tank, a syphon pipe located in said tank, a nozzle in said pipe for starting the syphon and a cylinder having a plunger connected with said nozzle and a translating device operated by said plunger.

8. In a liquid control system, a tank, a syphon pipe in said tank, a nozzle in said pipe associated with the operation of the syphon, a rotary valve and means connected with said nozzle for operating said rotary valve.

9. In a liquid control system, a tank, a syphon pipe in said tank, a nozzle in said pipe associated with the operation of said syphon, a stepping mechanism connected with said nozzle and means for operating said mechanism one step each time the syphon operates.

10. An article of manufacture comprising a Venturi nozzle for a syphon with a cylinder and piston connected at the upper end of the nozzle, an air connection between the cylinder and the nozzle and a translating device operated by said piston.

1l. In a liquid control system, a tank, a syphon pipe located in said tank, a nozzle in said pipe for starting the syphon, an air supply for said nozzle, means connected with said nozzle responsive to the flow of liquid through said nozzle and means controlling said air supply by said responsive means.

12. A liquid control system as in claim 11, with a time controlled mechanism also controlling the air supply.

13. A liquid control system comprising a tank, a syphon pipe in said tank, a nozzle in said pipe for starting the syphon, an air supply for said nozzle and a time operated mechanism controlling said air supply.

14. In a liquid control system, a liquid supply, a plurality of receiving tanks, a pipe connecting each of said receiving tanks with said supply, means in each pipe controlling the flow of liquid therein, selective means for operating said controlling means and a time operated mechanism controlling said selective means.

l5. In a liquid control system, a plurality of tanks, a syphon pipe with a nozzle connected with each tank, an air supply pipe, a valve connecting said air supply pipe with each nozzle to operate the syphons and means for selectively operating said valves.

16. In a liquid control system, a tank, a pipe with a nozzle connected with said tank, pneumatic means connected with said nozzle for starting the flow of liquid through said pipe and a time controlled mechanism controlling the operation of said pneumatic means.

17. An article of manufacture comprising a Venturi nozzle for a syphon, an expansion chamber connected with the upper end of the nozzle with means for contracting said chamber and an air connection between the expansion chamber and the nozzle for starting the syphon.

18. In a syphon system, in combination, an upper tank and a lower tank, a syphon tube connecting said tanks, a second syphon tube for discharging the lower tank, pneumatic means for starting said syphons, electrically operated means for operating said pneumatic means, and time controlled means for operating said electric means at intervals.

MATTHEW H. LOUGHRIDGE.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,171,579. September 5, 1959.

MATTI-IEW H. LOUGHRIDGE.

It is herebj)T certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction'as follows: Page 5,- first column, line 5, for the word "strong" read stroke; vand that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

'signed and 'seal-ed this 51st day of october, A. -D. 1959.

Henry Van Aredale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

